Many components, for example, bearings, are exposed to different temperature conditions. In some cases the bearing or components of the bearing are disposed on components that behave differently with a change in temperature than the bearing or a component of the bearing. For example, with a temperature change the components can expand or deform differently from one another. This can be the case, for example, with rolling-element bearings that are used in an aluminum housing, but also with other bearings. Therefore with such rolling-element bearings in such cases, elements for compensating for the different thermal expansions of aluminum housings, steel shafts and bearings can be introduced between the rolling-element bearing ring and the housing.
There are conventional rolling-element bearings which include a flange on an outer ring. With some conventional outer rings, an elastomer ring is disposed adjacent to the flange as an element for temperature compensation. For this purpose the elastomer ring is pushed onto the outer ring, for example. The elastomer ring has a very high thermal expansion coefficient. If the shafts and the housing expand at different rates, the elastomer ring should expand at such a rate that, at least in the axial direction, a desired bearing setting in clearance or preload is maintained between the housing and the outer ring. This can happen, for example, with a temperature increase or change. The elastomer ring should thus compensate for a clearance increase or a preload reduction, which can arise, for example, at an operating temperature.
In order that the outer ring can be moved in the housing, a clearance is often provided between the outer ring and the housing. Conventional elastomer rings, under appropriate operating load, often behave as a fluid. With a load the material can thus also be urged into the two gaps between the housing and the outer ring, which can also be configured as a flange outer ring. This process can be referred to as gap extrusion. Under unfavorable conditions with a mechanically alternating load the temperature compensation ring can fray at an affected edge. A material loss can possibly thereby possibly result. This material loss can possibly reduce a length compensation capability of the temperature compensation ring or of a temperature compensation bearing and disadvantageously change a bearing setting. This is undesirable and under certain circumstances can even occur with temperature compensation rings that are disposed between components other than the bearing ring and the housing.